Sophomore Iman Elkhashab Named Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact

Sophomore Iman Elkhashab named a 2017 Newman Civic Fellow.

Campus Compact, a Boston-based non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes of
higher education, has honored 273 students as 2017 Newman Civic Fellows. Among the honorees is Widener University sophomore Iman Elkhashab of Broomall, Pa. The Newman Civic Fellows Award recognizes inspiring college student
leaders who have worked to find solutions for challenges facing their communities.

Elkhashab, a biology major with a minor in French, is a member of Widener’s Presidential Service Corps/Bonner Leader Program. Through this program, a distinguished group of students who live, learn and work
together, devote themselves to responsible citizenship. Members commit to 300 hours
of community service per year and participate in training and enrichment activities
that help them inspire others to follow their lead.

“I am delighted that Iman was selected for this national recognition,” Widener University
President Dr. Julie E. Wollman said. “She is an outstanding student leader. Her commitment
to community service and advocacy for women’s health and environmental protections
say much about her character and dedication to causes with global reach. This honor
is well deserved.”

A global human rights advocate, Elkhashab is invested in addressing the lack of women's
rights and inadequate healthcare for women around the world. Elkhashab lived in Egypt
most of her life and after experiencing the revolution she wanted to take action.
She has since helped organize a number of protests and marches for the improvement
of healthcare for woman around the world. Elkhashab hopes to dedicate her career towards
helping women. “I want to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology, and travel to third-world
countries to educate women on self-care and provide first-world medical treatment.”

An honors student, Elkhashab in involved in a variety of leadership pursuits at Widener,
such as the French Club, International Club and Biological Society. She is an Apogee
Scholar in the Oskin Leadership Institute, and has been recognized for her leadership
developing community translation programs. She has taught English as a second language
and served globally in Egypt and Honduras.

Elkhashab is also an advocate for sustainability. She has worked on a community urban
farm as part of her service hours and is the chair of the student Sustainability Committee,
in which she recruits students to be advocates for environmental awareness in non-partisan
efforts. “The idea is to plant a seed in this generation to put aside our differences
and help society function more holistically and in a more accepting way,” she said.

Newman Civic Fellows are named in memory of Dr. Frank Newman, a founder of Campus
Compact, who dedicated his life to creating systemic change through education reform.
At the core of Newman’s leadership was a belief in the power of individuals to make
a difference and in the power of connection with others. This class of Newman Civic
Fellows embodies this spirit.

“The cultivation of community-committed leaders has never been more crucial,” said
Campus Compact President Andrew Seligsohn. “We rebuilt the Newman Civic Fellowship
experience because our country needs more people who know how to bring communities
together for positive change. We are thrilled to welcome this group of 273 exemplary
students as the first cohort to participate in this new model.”

Campus Compact 2017 Newman Civic Fellows represent their higher education institution
in a national group of student leaders. These students will soon receive an award
certificate and an invitation to join the Newman Civic Fellows online network. In
many cases, they will also be invited to participate in state-specific activities.
A complete list of the 2017 Newman Civic Fellows can be found at compact.org/newman-civic-fellow/.

The 2017 Newman Civic Fellows Awards are made possible through the generous support
of the KPMG Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation.

Campus Compact is a nonprofit coalition of nearly 1,100 college and university presidents—representing
some 6 million students—who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher
education. As the only national association dedicated to this mission, Campus Compact
is a leader in building community engagement into campus and academic life. For more
information, visit www.compact.org or follow @Campus_Compact on Twitter.

Widener University is a private, metropolitan university that connects curricula to
social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching, active scholarship, personal
attention, leadership development and experiential learning are key components of
the Widener experience. A comprehensive doctorate-granting university, Widener comprises
eight schools and colleges that offer liberal arts and sciences, professional and
pre-professional curricula leading to associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral
degrees. Visit the university website, http://www.widener.edu/.